Psychology Commons^™

Pediatric Anxiety Disorders And Their Accommodation In The Classrom, Olivia Hobson

Honors Theses

This project is an exploration of the origins, neurology and impacts of pediatric anxiety disorders, as well as the research-backed best practices for their accomodation within the school classroom setting.

The Effects Of Parenting On The Behavior Of Children With Autism: A Meta-Analysis, Allison Martin

Honors Theses

Parenting impacts a child’s behavior, mental health, social relationships, cognitive development, and more. However, research has shown that parents of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) express more negative behaviors such as being overly controlling, hostile towards the child, and having poor communication with the child when compared to parents of typically developing children (Ku et al., 2019). The current study examines the effects of positive and negative parenting behaviors on the internalizing behaviors, externalizing behaviors, and social skills of children with ASD. A meta-analysis was done to analyze the effects of parenting behaviors on children with ASD. Twenty-one studies …

Two Peas In A Pod? An Investigation Of Friendship And Personality Perception, Josephine N. Collins

Honors Theses

This study investigated whether we can tell people are friends by looking at them. Participants viewed sets of four photos, two of which are friends, and rated personality, appearance, and friendship likelihood. I expected real friends to have higher friendship likelihood ratings and personality similarity. The results indicated self-other agreement among ratings of personality by real friends, but there were not significant patterns among the other variables.

The Elements Of Onstage Lighting And How It Could Impact The Emotion Of An Audience, Kailee Morehart

Honors Theses

Lighting, combined with other aspects of performance, can either make an experience extremely impactful for an audience or it can be completely unnoticed. Lighting is versatile in its ability to be manipulated in different ways to get the desired effect. In addition to having color, lights also have direction, shape, intensity, distribution, quality, movement, and may be changed over time. The combination of these elements can evoke certain emotions in an audience. Opportunities for creativity in this outlet should be explored in order to discover to what extent lighting can impact the emotions of an audience, if at all. In …

Meditation In Buddhism, Mbsr, And The Bible: Examining The Implications For Christian Counselors, Kara Delaune

Honors Theses

Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) has become a popular treatment in clinical settings for a variety of conditions. The term mindfulness was first used in relation to the Satipaffhana Sutta. 1 This passage from the Buddhist texts contains instructions regarding sati, which roughly translates from the Pali language to English as mindfulness. Mindfulness is a key component of the Buddhist religion, finding its place in both the Threefold Way and the Seven Factors of Awakening, or Enlightenment. Mindfulness falls under the umbrella of meditation. 2 Meditation takes several forms. Meditation is extremely useful for Christians, but not every type of meditation …

Effects Of Diagnostic Labels On College Students' Perceptions Of Children With Autism Spectrum Disorder, Sarah Grace Cowell

Honors Theses

The Center for Disease Control reports current research that indicates 1 in every 68 children in the United States has the diagnostic label of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Research literature of the past 20 years has warned of the possible dangers of labels, such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, and the potentially negative impact these labels can have on an individual throughout a lifetime.

This project investigates college students' perceptions of the label Autism Spectrum Disorder in regard to a child's educational potential and later employment. College students viewed a four-minute video of a child in solitary play. One-half of the participants …

Early Childhood Trauma: Implications For Educators And The Importance Of Trauma-Sensitive Schools, Mattie Couch

Honors Theses

Dr. Bruce Perry, the renowned child psychiatrist, defines trauma as “an experience, or pattern of experiences, that impairs the proper functioning of the person’s stress-response system, making it more reactive or sensitive” (Supin, 2016, p. 5). According to the National Child Traumatic Stress Network, one study discovered that more than half of children aged 2–5 had experienced some form of a severe traumatic stressor in their lifetime (Zero to Six Collaborative Group, 2010). Consequently, there is a high likelihood of finding a child who has experienced trauma within any educator’s classroom walls. Because of this fact, future and present educators …

Predictors Of Independence For Adults With Intellectual Disability, Kristina Beall

Honors Theses

As the life expectancy for adults has increased, the number of individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID) entering adulthood has increased, which brings up the question of how to evaluate and provide the care needed for these individuals. An important aspect of adulthood in individuals with ID is independence. Research links independence (specifically living environment and employment) and self-determination to a higher QOL. The purpose of the current study was to examine predictors of independent living and employment for adults with ID. Client records were obtained from an organization for adults with ID. Data retrieved included demographic information, IQ score, living …

Life Is Suffering: Buddhism As A Potential Obstacle To Crisis And Trauma Intervention, Elizabeth Peevy

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to highlight the need for an empirical examination of the interaction between Crisis Intervention strategies and religions. While there seem to be obvious obstacles to crisis intervention within the major tenets of most of the world's religions, there has been little to no accessible research on the subject. This paper will focus only on Buddhism, a religion that gets much attention in regard to mental health. In the practice of crisis and trauma intervention, a person who holds to traditional Buddhist views should theoretically suffer more severely with PTSD symptoms because of Buddhism's emphasis …

Psychological Techniques In Jury Consulting, Mccrae Jones

Honors Theses

Renowned attorney Clarence Darrow once said, "Almost every case has been won or lost when the jury is sworn" (Darrow, 1936). With jury imposed financial payouts possibly as high as they have every been, increased pressure has been placed upon attorneys to insure a favorable outcome for their client. The employment of and importance of jury consultants has risen with this increased pressure. Jury consultants are employed to help create juries that will be sympathetic to their client's argument. Often, they are used to find jurors that would have strong proclivities against their argument. As the practice has gained more …

Simple Respect, Adam Wheat

Honors Theses

I believe that etiquette has gained a negative connotation as a set of irrelevant rules that can be shallowly applied to make a favorable impression. I want to prove that there is more to manners than that and how knowledge of these manners can have a positive impact on society. As a graduating college student, I want to focus my efforts on the application to my generation through a project of study.

Internal Dialogue: Are You Listening To Me? Positive Internal Dialogue And Narcissism, Corey M. E. Wallis

Honors Theses

Utilizing the experience sampling method, the present study investigated the relationship between a participant's self esteem, self consciousness, and narcissism and the level of positive thought. The present study also explored the relations between positive thought and satisfaction with Ouachita Baptist University, their roommate, their social involvement, and their GPA. Results showed that narcissism is negatively related to positivity of thought. Additionally, there is a significant correlation between participant's involvement with campus organizations and the level of satisfaction with their school. Furthermore, there was a connection between organizational involvement and positivity of thoughts. Additionally, participants' GPA 's were positively correlated …

Is Facebook An Accurate Representation Of Personality?, Hannah Murdock

Honors Theses

The goal of this study was to examine whether there are correlations between online presentation of oneself on Face book (through profile pictures, number of Facebook friends, relationship status, and how often friends are mentioned) and four personality traits (extroversion, social anxiety, self-esteem, and attachment style). Participants completed an online survey to report Facebook information and measure personality traits. Findings show that (a) the more friends one has, the more likely one is to mention them on his or her profile; (b) people with an avoidant attachment style are less likely to have a boyfriend/girlfriend; (c) neither extroversion nor social …

Identifying Chaos In Human Interactive Decision-Making, Susan E. Rhoads

Honors Theses

Human subjects played two computer versions of the Prisoner's Dilemma (Poundstone, 1992). By varying the payoff scales and instructions, one version of the game encouraged competition whereas the other encouraged cooperation. The data were entered into a computer program capable of generating a Sierpinski carpet with strings of random variables. The completion percentage of the resulting carpets indicated the degree to which the game-specific interactions approached chaos. The Sierpinski carpets resulting from the cooperation games showed significantly higher completion percentages than the carpets resulting from the competition games. Because chaotic behavior is unpredictable in the stream of its occurrence, research …

The Effects Of Noise And Music Upon Task Performance, Tina Johnson

Honors Theses

Forty-eight subjects from a university general psychology class took a series of four timed arithmetic tests of two differing complexities. Vocal music was played during half of the tests while instrumental music was played during the other half. Results were analyzed for the number of problems correct, number attempted and percentage of problems answered correctly. Results showed that subjects in the instrumental music condition had a significantly higher number of problems correct and attempted than the vocal condition, but the percentage correct was not significantly higher. Results for task complexity showed difficult problems had a significantly lower number correct and …

A Study Of Euthanasia, Melinda Scarborough

Honors Theses

The purpose of this paper is to define euthanasia, give a brief outline of the history of the idea and practice, recognize some of the reasons it has become a current topic for controversy, and acquaint the reader with the multiplicity of factors that emerge in discussions on euthanasia. Perspectives from the medical, psychological, legal and moral realms will be advanced in the text. In the conclusion, each of these perspectives will be evaluated as to the validity of sits assertions and its place within the framework on which to base decisions concerning euthanasia.

The Stereotyped Image Of Mental Illness And How It Can Be Eliminated, Larry Latham

Honors Theses

One out of every ten people in the United States will at some time be hospitalized for a mental illness. Billions of dollars each year are spent on books about personal adjustment. Mental illness is not something that the public can be ignorant about.

This paper is concerned with understanding why the public views mental disorders as it does, and how a more optimistic perception can be attained.

Hallucinations Induced By Sensory Deprivation: Fact Or Fiction?, Larry M. Latham

Honors Theses

Ancient mediators, ascetics, and others on religious quests deliberately withdrew from all sensory experience and even transcended awareness of their own body in order to open up the "inner rooms of the house of mind."

Experimenters of the modern era have attempted to analyze the various forms of hallucinations that have occurred under such "mysterious" circumstances. Contemporary sensory deprivation situations have yielded results which correspond very closely to the transcendentalism of the ancient mystics. However, the scientists of today have various means of complex experimentation available. Thus, hallucinations are no longer the mystical experiences of transcendentalists--hallucinations can be explained through …

A Study Of Personality Differences In Children Related To Strict Or Permissive Parental Discipline, Patricia L. Greene

Honors Theses

The aim of this study is to determine how the children of dominating parents differ from those of submissive parents in behavior, personality, and in their mental life and attitudes. In addition a discussion will be made of the adjustment between father and mother as married partners and of the childhood background of the parents.

The study to be reported is based upon actual cases comparing families in which there is strict and rigid control of children with families in which control of children is lax.

The collected information of this research paper follows no one single finding of any …

Special Studies In Psychology, William E. Walker

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

A Comparative Study Of The Intelligence Quotient Of The Negro, Patricia L. Greene

Honors Theses

Extending beyond health, white supremacists maintain that Negroes are innately less intelligent than Caucasians. In a statement remarkably comparable to those made two centuries ago by advocates of the theory of American degeneration, one modern-day racist phrases the claim in these words:

Any man with two eyes in his head can observe a Negro settlement in the Congo, can study the pure-blood African in his native habitat as he exists when left on his own resources, can compare this settlement with London or Paris, and can draw hos own conclusions regarding relative levels of character and intelligence.... Finally, he can …

The Effect Of Environment On The Mentally Retarded Child, Patricia L. Greene

Honors Theses

Mental retardation is one of the most challenging problems of childhood. It affects not only the child but also parents, siblings, and the community. The retarded child needs the help of the physician, the psychologist, the social worker, the teacher, and even the lawmakers.

The question of mental retardation, fortunately, is now being brought into the open. The child who is mentally retarded is no longer kept behind closed windows and locked doors. Mental retardation, formerly, looked upon as a stigma, is now considered a disease, like tuberculosis, diabetes, and heart trouble.

Mental retardation had been designated by various terms …

Dreams: A Guide To The Subconscious Of Man, Sharon Coe

Honors Theses

The first thing one learns when trying to get information on sleep, dreams, and the interpretation of dreams is that very little is known about any of these subjects. The study of dreams is a relatively new field--only about fifteen years old, although dream interpretation has been studied in many ancient civilizations. The story is told in the Bible (Genesis 4) of the symbolic dreams that Pharaoh had and Joseph's interpretation of it.

Report On Special Studies For The Honors Program, Sharon Coe

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Comparison Of Attitudes On Euthanasia, Allen Hampton, Mark Bowles

Honors Theses

Students entering full time religious work will tend to disfavor the practice of Euthanasia, whereas students in the area of pre-med will advocate the practice.

The aim of this study is to observe the attitudes of persons in different areas of study at Ouachita Baptist University concerning the subject of Euthanasia.

A Study Of The Origins Of Behavior Problems, Kathryn Ann Shaddox

Honors Theses

In special studies this semester I have simply began the study of adult problems arising from childhood. To do this I read several books and an occasional periodical. The following paper tends to be an overview tying together three of these books. I only made a few references to the other three mentioned in the bibliography. The content for this paper in mainly a listing of the many aspects of personality development. The first section deals generally with the developmental tasks from infancy to adulthood. The second continues with the behavior problems of children who have failed to succeed in …

Psychological Aspects Of Clothing, Marty Mcdonald

Honors Theses

This research was conducted with no established set of hypotheses as guidelines. It was done to point out certain attitudes about clothing and inadvertently, how consciously or unconsciously, ideas are formed about dress.

A questionnaire was prepared for the study. It required the subject to give his age, sex, and classification, but no name. The questions were designed to include some specific topics on female dress and some on male dress, with additional topics related to neither sex expressly. These questions were given to forty subjects, twenty males and twenty females.

Upward Bound Reflections, C. David Claybrook

Honors Theses

No abstract provided.

Group Psychotherapy With Underachievers, Marty Mcdonald

Honors Theses

The aim of this paper is to point out the opportunities and possibilities of group psychology in helping underachievers particularly at the college level. Due to lack of available information on this topic, it was necessary first to examine group psychotherapy and underachievers separately and then to try correlating the two areas.

Research In Child Development, Amelia Owen

Honors Theses

This paper explores child development of various concepts, including life, death, and life after death; space, weight, money, and time; and concepts of self.